Spit Ends after Cutting a Bob

Chin length bob haircut with bangs
Photo: Silvia Bukovac/Shutterstock
Q: A while ago I cut my hair into a short bob and I feel like I have more spilt ends than before. I want to get rid of the spilt ends without cutting my hair even shorter! What should I do?
 
A: I’m sorry that you’re going through this. Split ends are one of the most dreadful of evil among hair problems, and I personally know how traumatic this can be, especially to one that takes pride in her hair and its health.
 
Regrettably there is nothing that can actually repair split ends, irrespective of the countless products out there that proclaim to be able to do so. It is structurally impossible to repair the hair shaft of hair that has been split into two. At least, definitely structurally impossible by even the most sophisticated hair products on the market... I suspect that some prodigal rocket-scientist with a chip on his/her shoulder (and very bad hair), would be able to find a way to make this happen if he/she made it his/her life goal. But somehow, I doubt the likelihood of this happening.
 
In any case, I can give you some good tips on keeping your damaged tresses as healthy as possible, as to avoid those ends splitting even further. Once you have grown out your hair to a satisfactory length; you can trim off the damaged ends and continue on your journey to Healthy Hair Land.
 
Firstly, always avoid in handling or tying wet hair up. Wet hair is very, very fragile, and likely to break even when it is healthy. Some people take this concept as far as not drying their hair with a bath-towel, but with a T-shirt, as the T-shirt material is smoother than bath-towel fibers, thus in theory it is safer to dry your wet hair. I haven’t tested this method as I don’t really have T-shirts because I don’t like them. (Even yoga-class is more fun in a fitted-top than a T-shirt, right?) And also, I would feel like a regenerate while drying my hair with a T-shirt; but each to his own.
 
My point being: have care when handling your wet hair. I find that using a product that contains liquid keratin (my favorite is Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair). I spritz this on while my hair is still wet, before I blow-dry it. It strengthens the hair structure, even though it can’t repair it. This means that you’re taking active and progressive steps towards avoiding further damage; which is the smart-girl approach in my books.
 
Lastly, use a bit of silicone-based smoothing lotion to smooth down the hair after you’ve styled it. This doesn’t do much for the health of the hair, but it’s shiny consistency and ability to block out humidity creates the astonishingly realistic illusion of super healthy and happy hair. Good luck, you will get there!
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Split-Ender
 
Get rid of split ends
 
What split ends look like
 
How to repair split ends